The association of widowhood and living alone with depression among older adults in India

AbstractWidowhood is a catastrophic event at any stage of life for the surviving partner particularly in old age, with serious repercussions on their physical, economic, and emotional well-being. This study investigates the association of marital status and living arrangement with depression among older adults. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the effects of factors such as socio-economic conditions and other health problems contributing to the risk of depression among older adults in India. This study utilizes data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-2017–18). The effective sample size was 30,639 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis have been performed to determine the prevalence of depression. Further, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to study the association between marital status and living arrangement on depression among older adults in India. Overall, around nine percent of the older adults suffered from depression. 10.3% of the widowed (currently married: 7.8%) and 13.6% of the older adults who were living alone suffered from depression. Further, 8.4% of the respondents who were co-residing with someone were suffering from depression. Widowed older adults were 34% more likely to be depressed than currently married counterparts [AOR: 1.34, CI 1.2–1.49]. Similarly, respondents who lived alone were 16% more likely to be depressed compared to their counterparts [AOR: 1.16; CI 1.02, 1.40]. Older adults who were widowed and living alone were 56% more likely to suffer from depression [AOR: 1.56; CI 1.28, 1.91] in reference to older adults who were currently married and co-residing. The study shows vulnerability of widowed older adults who are living alone and among those who had lack of socio-economic resources and face poor health status. The study can be used to target outreach programs and service delivery for the older adults who are living alone or widowed and suffering from depression.

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Prevalence and Correlates of Vision Impairment and Its Association With Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults in India: An Epidemiological Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-148852/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad T ◽

Drishti Drishti ◽

Shobhit Srivast

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Population Aging ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Vision Impairment ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Effective Sample Size ◽

Older Individuals

Abstract BackgroundLike other major chronic diseases, vision impairment is an independently associated risk factor of cognitive decline among older individuals. We in this study, aim to investigate what are the predictors of vision impairment in old age and how impaired vision is associated with cognitive impairment among the aging population.MethodsThe present research used data from Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India. The effective sample size for the present study was 9541 older adults. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis was used to find the preliminary results. Further, binary logistic regression analysis was been done to fulfil the objective of the study.ResultsAbout 6 in every 10 older adults had a problem of vision impairment. Further, nearly 60% of older adults had cognitive impairment in India. Diabetes [OR: 1.55, CI: 1.32-1.81], hypertension [OR: 1.60, CI: 1.42-1.80], heart disease [OR: 1.43, CI: 1.16-1.76] and cataract [OR: 5.97, CI: 4.83-7.38] were the risk factors for vision impairment among older adults. It was revealed that the older adults who had vision impairment were 11% significantly more likely to have cognitive impairment when compared with the older adults who do not suffer from vision impairment [OR: 1.11, CI: 1.01-1.23]. Low psychological health [OR: 1.55; CI: 1.36, 1.77], low ADL [OR: 1.80; CI: 1.43, 2.27], low IADL [OR: 1.26; CI: 1.14, 1.40], poor self-rated health [OR: 1.28; CI: 1.15-1.41] and chronic morbidity [OR: 1.27; CI: 1.14, 1.41] were the significant factors for cognitive impairment among older adults in IndiaConclusionsAdditional efforts in terms of advocacy, availability, affordability, and accessibility especially in a country with a greater illiteracy rate are mandatory to increase the reach of eye-care services and reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment and vision losses that lead to cognitive deficits among the older population.

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COVID-19-Induced Redundancy and Socio-Psychological Well-Being of Tourism Employees: Implications for Organizational Recovery in a Resource-Scarce Context

Journal of Travel Research ◽

10.1177/00472875211054571 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 004728752110545

Author(s):

Albert N. Kimbu ◽

Issahaku Adam ◽

Frederick Dayour ◽

Anna de Jong

Keyword(s):

Marital Status ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Well Being ◽

Tourism Industry ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Education Status ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

Future Work ◽

The Impact

Drawing on social and psychological well-being literature underpinned by the concept of resilience, this study examines the impact of COVID-19 induced redundancy on the socio-psychological well-being of redundant employees (laid-off or working reduced hours), and its effect on their commitment to work and support recovery in the tourism industry. Utilizing a quantitative-dominant mixed methods design, 457 questionnaires were administered, and 15 interviews conducted with redundant employees in Ghana between May and August 2020. Results from a binary logistic regression analysis of the survey data supported by qualitative interview analysis indicate that marital status, education, status of dependents, and the types of tourism businesses employed in, significantly influenced psychological well-being while marital status, age, education, and rank in the organization influenced the social well-being of respondents. Meanwhile, psychological well-being significantly influenced future work commitment in the industry. Managerial implications for supporting employee resilience, well-being, and future recovery strategies are critically examined.

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Anaemia among mother-father-child pairs in India: examining co-existence of triple burden of anaemia in a family

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11408-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pradeep Kumar ◽

Shekhar Chauhan ◽

Ratna Patel ◽

Shobhit Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Parental Education ◽

Family Health ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Health Concern ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Effective Sample Size ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Chi Square ◽

Family Level

Abstract Background Anaemia is a global health concern and is also a common comorbidity in multiple medical conditions. Very limited research is available examining anaemia among family members in India and across various countries. The present study aimed to examine the co-existence of the triple burden of anaemia among mother-father-child pairs in a family. Methods The data utilized was from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–16. The effective sample size for the study was 26,910 couples, along with children aged 6–59 months. The bivariate and binary logistic regression analysis were applied to assess the factors associated with family-level anaemia. In bivariate analysis, a chi-square test was performed to determine the association of socio-demographic factors with anaemic family. Results More than half of the mothers (57.5%) and their children (58%), along with 10% of fathers, were found to be anaemic; however, the co-existence of triple burden of anaemia among mother-father-child pairs was 4.7% in the study. The likelihood of family-level anaemia was low when both the parents were educated [OR: 0.69, CI: 0.58–0.81], and it was high when both the parents were employed [OR: 1.40 CI: 1.10–1.80]. Families from the Scheduled Tribe had a 62% higher likelihood to suffer from anaemia [OR: 1.62, CI: 1.33–1.97]. Conclusions The suggested interventions include early diagnosis, effective management, and treatment of anaemia. Moreover, adequate complementary feeding practices for children shall also be promoted. Parental education on nutrition is also required, and community interventions are needed to improve parental education on nutrition. At last, there is a need for greater policy and program attention to improving nutritional knowledge among mothers so as to tackle the triple burden of anaemia among mother-father-child pairs.

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Loneliness, isolation and living alone associate with psychological well-being among the older adults in Taipei

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3397 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 926-926

Author(s):

Hui-chuan Hsu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Senior Citizen ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Alone ◽

Related Factors ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Economic Satisfaction

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the clustering of loneliness, isolation, and living alone, the risk factors and the associations with psychological wellbeing. Methods: The data were from the 2019 Taipei City Senior Citizen Condition Survey collected by face-to-face interviews, which included aged 60 and above community-based and institution-based samples. The completed sample was 3,853 persons. Loneliness, isolation, and living arrangement were analysed by cluster analysis to define the Loneliness-Isolation-Living Alone clusters. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the related factors to LIL clusters. Results: Four clusters of the older adults were identified and named as following: Connected (44.1%), Alone /Institutionalized (9.2%); Lonely (10.7%); and Isolated (22.0%). Compared with the Connected cluster, the Alone/Institutionalized cluster was more likely to have higher education, more IADL difficulties, more diseases , lower economic satisfaction, more likely to be males, having no spouse, and no children; the Lonely cluster was more likely to poor self-rated health, lower financial satisfaction, feeling less age-friendliness, more likely to be older, female, and no spouse; the Isolated cluster was more likely to have lower education, reported poorer self-rated health, lower economic satisfaction, and being older. The Alone/Institutionalized cluster and the Lonely cluster had higher depressive symptoms; the Alone/Institutionalized, Lonely, and Isolated clusters reported lower life satisfaction and had higher risks of cognitive impairment. Discussion: Loneliness, isolation, and living alone jointly associate with psychological health and well-being. High risk older populations may need social care and encourage social participation to promote health and wellbeing.

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A Longitudinal Analysis of the Association Between Living Arrangements and Health Among Older Adults in China

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027516680854 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 72-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Zi Zhou ◽

Fanzhen Mao ◽

Jiaping Ma ◽

Shichao Hao ◽

Zhengmin (Min) Qian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Alone ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Health Differences ◽

Adl Disability

This article used the nationally representative Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to explore the associations between living arrangements and health among older adults. Living arrangements were stratified into six categories. Health was measured by self-rated health, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, and cognitive impairment. Random-effects ordered probit regressions were applied. The results indicated that coresidence had a positive effect on self-rated health compared with living alone. After introducing psychological well-being, the health differences observed in living with a spouse and living with both spouse and children were not significant. Participants with each of the living arrangement were more likely to have a higher rate of cognitive impairment and ADL disability than those living alone. Living arrangements were associated with older adults’ health. Psychological well-being was a key factor in this association, which may result from living with a spouse, and could contribute to the self-rated health of older adults.

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Linkages of Multi-Dimensional Vulnerabilities with Infant and Child Mortality Rates in India and Its Specific Regions: Are Social Determinants of Health still Relevant?

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.1177/0030222821997704 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003022282199770

Author(s):

Prem Shankar Mishra ◽

Debashree Sinha ◽

Pradeep Kumar ◽

Shobhit Srivastava ◽

T. S. Syamala

Keyword(s):

Child Mortality ◽

Family Health ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Effective Sample Size ◽

Predicted Probability ◽

Infant And Child Mortality ◽

National Family

The present study investigated linkages between multiple socio-economic vulnerabilities with infant and child mortality in India and its specific regions. Data from the National Family Health Survey (2015–16) was used for calculating the key-outcome variables, namely infant mortality and child mortality. The effective sample size for the study was 259,627. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were employed to examine three dimensions of vulnerabilities such as education, wealth, and caste on infant and child mortality. Children born to women with multiple-vulnerabilities were more likely to die than those born to non-vulnerable women. Women who were vulnerable in all the three-dimensions were more likely to have their children die as infants than those who were not vulnerable in any dimensions (predicted probabilities; 0.054 vs 0.026). The predicted probability for child mortality was 0.063 for women who were vulnerable and 0.028 for non-vulnerable women.

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Coresidence Increases Risk of Testing Positive for COVID-19 Among Older Brazilians

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3470 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 972-972

Author(s):

Flavia Andrade ◽

Nekehia Quashie ◽

Luisa Schwartzman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Family Members ◽

Physical Contact ◽

Living Alone ◽

Sample Survey ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Intergenerational Coresidence ◽

Nationally Representative

Abstract Brazil is among the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, and older adults are among the vulnerable groups. Intergenerational coresidence and interdependence among family members, both prevalent in Brazil, likely increase social and physical contact. Using nationally representative data from the COVID-19 module of the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey, collected from July to November of 2020, we examined the association between living arrangements and exposure to and testing for COVID-19 among 63,816 Brazilians 60+. Our multivariate analyses utilize multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression to examine the association between living arrangements and the COVID-19 outcome measures. Results show that those living alone were more likely to report having symptoms and having had a test for COVID-19. However, older adults in multigenerational (PR=1.532, 95% CI 1.15, 2.04, p<0.001) and skipped generation households (PR=1.607, 95% CI 1.04, 2.48, p<0.001) were more likely than solo-dwellers to test positive for COVID-19. Those with symptoms were more likely to test, regardless of their living arrangement. Among older adults without symptoms, those living alone had a higher probability of testing than those living in multigenerational or skipped-generation households. Overall, our findings suggest that coresidence with younger family members is a risk factor for older adults’ health due to the higher COVID-19 positivity. As younger Brazilians are increasingly vulnerable to COVID-19 and experiencing severe outcomes, policy makers need to be more attentive to the health needs of households that comprise older and younger cohorts, which are also more prevalent in poor and marginalized segments of the population.

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Longitudinal Relationship Between Living Alone and Activity Engagement of Chinese Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 921-921

Author(s):

Fengyan Tang ◽

Ke Li

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Leisure Activity ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Alone ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Activity Engagement ◽

Chinese Older Adults

Abstract The living arrangement of older adults plays a key role in their health status and psychological well-being. Yet the relationship between living arrangement and activity engagement remains unclear. Using data from three waves of the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) with a study sample of 7,479 respondents aged 60 or older, this study examined the effect of living alone on the frequency of activity engagement among Chinese older adults. Two types of activity engagement were examined in this study, including social interaction with friends and leisure activity (i.e., play chess, go to a sport or club). The multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed using generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM). Compared with those living with others, older adults living alone were older, more likely to be female and living in urban areas, and with fewer years of education and more functional limitations. The results also indicated that after controlling for a set of covariates, living alone status was significantly associated with the increased likelihood of high and medium frequency of both social interaction and leisure activity in reference to no engagement. This study not only improves the understanding of activity engagement preference of Chinese older adults who are living alone but also indicates the importance of improving community facilities and outdoor spaces to promote activity engagement among older adults.

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Tooth loss and associated self-rated health and psychological and subjective wellbeing among community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study in India

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12457-2 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

T. Muhammad ◽

Shobhit Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Tooth Loss ◽

Subjective Wellbeing ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Self Rated Health

Abstract Background Losing teeth has been considered as part of normal aging. However, in developing countries, tooth loss among older adults is shown to be more negatively associated with self-image and quality of life compared to their western counterparts. This study examines the association of tooth loss with self-rated health and psychological and subjective wellbeing among older adults in India. Methods Data were derived from the "Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India" (BKPAI) survey which was carried out in 2011. The final sample size for the analysis was 9231 older adults. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis along with binary logistic regression analysis were conducted to fulfil the objective of the study. Results A proportion of 12.3% of older adults reported complete tooth loss. It was found that older adults who reported tooth loss were 2.38 times significantly more likely to have poor self-rated health (SRH) [2.38; CI: 1.99,2.83] than older adults who did not report tooth loss. The odds of low psychological health were high among older adults who suffered from tooth loss than their counterparts [OR: 1.59; CI: 1.33,1.91]. Older adults who reported tooth loss had 65% significantly higher odds of low subjective well-being than older adults who did not report tooth loss [OR: 1.65; CI: 1.38,1.97]. Conclusion Complete loss of teeth is associated with older individuals’ poor SRH as well as low psychological and subjective well-being, but such a consequence is avoidable by practising the efforts to maintain good oral health.

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Typologies of Loneliness, Isolation and Living Alone Are Associated with Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults in Taipei: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249181 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9181

Author(s):

Hui-Chuan Hsu

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Well Being ◽

Living Alone ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

The Government ◽

Lower Life Satisfaction

Background: Loneliness, isolation, and living alone are emerging as critical issues in older people’s health and well-being, but the effects are not consistent. The purpose of this study was to examine the clustering of loneliness, isolation, and living alone, the risk factors and the associations with psychological well-being. Methods: The data were collected from the 2019 Taipei City Senior Citizen Condition Survey by face-to-face interviews and included a community-based sample (n = 3553). Loneliness, isolation, and living arrangement were analyzed by cluster analysis to define Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the factors related to Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters, and linear regression was used to examine association of clusters with psychological well-being. Results: Five clusters of older adults were identified and named as follows: Not Lonely-Connected-Others (53.4%), Not Lonely-Isolated-Others (26.6%), Not Lonely-Alone (5.0%), Lonely-Connected (8.1%), and Lonely-Isolated-Others (6.9%). Demographics, financial satisfaction, physical function, family relationship, and social participation were related to the Loneliness-Isolation-Living-Alone clusters. Compared with the Not Lonely-Connected-Others cluster, the Lonely-Connected cluster and Lonely-Isolated-Others cluster had higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction, and the Not Lonely-Isolated-Others cluster reported lower life satisfaction; the Not Lonely-Alone cluster was not different. Discussion: Loneliness and isolation are negatively associated with psychological well-being, and living arrangement is not the determinant to loneliness or isolation. Older adults are suggested to strengthen their informal social support, and the government may encourage social care and create an age friendly environment to reduce loneliness and isolation.

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